


Won't Want For Love

by backslashdelta



Series: The Hazards of Love [2]
Category: Glee
Genre: Angst, Bi!Blaine, Blaine Friendly, Dalton!Klaine, F/M, Fluff, High School, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, M/M, Pre-Relationship, even though THOL1 isn't so much, kind of, technically they're not together yet though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:06:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27750490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/backslashdelta/pseuds/backslashdelta
Summary: Blaine navigates his way through a developing relationship with Kurt, and exploring his sexuality.A companion fic to The Hazards of Love 1, from Blaine's perspective.
Relationships: Blaine Anderson/Brittany S. Pierce, Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel
Series: The Hazards of Love [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1873168
Comments: 16
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> When I originally started writing THOL1, I was writing from both Kurt and Blaine's perspectives. I made the decision to write the whole story from Kurt's perspective, but I kept what I'd written from Blaine's perspective. It occurred to me that this is something that people might like to read, so I've decided to post it. Some chapters will be scenes directly from THOL1 but with the POV switched, while others will be completely new scenes that were omitted from THOL1 because Kurt isn't present. I hope you enjoy these little glimpses into Blaine's point of view. All of the scenes occur prior to THOL1 chapter 12, which means Klaine is not officially together for any of them.
> 
> This first chapter is chapter 2 of THOL1 from Blaine's perspective.

Blaine sits in his dorm room, waiting anxiously for the knock on his door. Kurt sounded a little calmer on the second call, but he's still worried; he has never heard Kurt like that, and all he wants to do is protect him from whatever it is that upset him so much. He picks idly at a loose thread on his blanket as he sits on his bed, staring at the wall.

When he hears a knock, he's up and pulling the door open in a second flat to find... David?

"Hey, are you alright? What's going on?" David asks, quirking an eyebrow at the array of emotions flashing across Blaine's face in quick succession; concern, surprise, confusion, then settling on a mix of anxiety and frustration.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Blaine mumbles, "did you need something?" He glances out the doorway over David's shoulder, trying to see if he can spot Kurt anywhere.

David sighs. "Yeah, I wanted to make sure my friend was okay. You rushed out of there pretty quick, what's up?"

David isn't going away until he gets some kind of answer, and Blaine knows it, so he resigns himself to meeting David's eyes. "I'm fine, it's... It's Kurt. He called me, and I don't know what's wrong, but _something's_ wrong," Blaine explains.

"And you're hiding in your room now because...?" David prompts.

"Because he's coming here."

David quirks an eyebrow again, but Blaine continues before he can say anything.

"He really didn't sound okay. I told him I'd go meet him, but he said he didn't want to stay where he was, and he asked if he could come here, and... I've _never_ heard him as upset as he sounded when he called me." Blaine just wants to get across how serious this is so David will _leave him alone_ because as much as Kurt seems to trust Blaine, he's pretty sure that Kurt will _not_ trust David to see him like this. Thankfully, David seems to understand.

"Alright, yeah. Well... I hope he's alright. He seems like a good guy." David claps Blaine once on the shoulder. "I guess I'll leave you to it, then. You know where I am if you need anything."

"Yeah. I hope so, too. Thanks, David," Blaine gives him a smile as he walks away, and closes the door after him.

Ten minutes later there's another knock on the door, and this time it _is_ Kurt. Blaine opens the door, and although Kurt isn't crying anymore, his face is still red and blotchy and his eyes are watery. Blaine doesn't hesitate to pull him into a hug. Kurt stiffens immediately, body going rigid at the unexpected contact.

"Sorry, you just look like you could use a hug," Blaine explains, dropping his arms and taking a small step backward. "Not that you look _bad_ , you don't, just, you uh-" he's stumbling over his words, not quite sure how to tell Kurt that he looks awful without telling him that, well, he looks _awful_. Luckily, Kurt steps in and saves him from embarrassing himself further.

"Blaine, it's fine. Thank you." Kurt's voice is quiet, and it's nowhere close to the snarky response that Blaine was expecting but _of course it's not_ , he reminds himself, because nothing about Kurt right now is anything like his normal self.

Kurt is standing there in the doorway for a few moments before Blaine remembers his manners.

"Come in, come sit, sorry, I just- Sorry," Blaine stutters over his words as he motions for Kurt to come further into the room and closes the door. He's not sure why he can't seem to put a sentence together tonight, but he had better pull himself together fast because clearly Kurt needs somebody capable of speech at the moment.

Kurt sits gingerly on the edge of Blaine's bed, and Blaine sits across from him in the chair at his desk. They stare silently at each other for a while, neither one knowing quite what to say to the other. Blaine can see the tear tracks on Kurt's cheeks as Kurt stares wide-eyed back at him, but he doesn't seem to be actively crying right now, and certainly not sobbing like he was when he first called, and Blaine thinks that must count for something.

"Kurt, what happened?" Blaine finally breaks the silence, reaching his hand out to touch Kurt's thigh, but Kurt flinches at the contact, and Blaine immediately pulls his hand back, instead threading his fingers together and holding his hands in his lap, eyes trained on Kurt's face.

Kurt swallows and looks down at the floor between them. "I was, um– it's nothing, I just–" he takes in a ragged breath, but doesn't continue.

Blaine waits, hoping that Kurt will pick up where he left off. But when Kurt remains silent, Blaine prompts him again. "Kurt? Did... someone hurt you?" and Blaine is, as discreetly as possible, checking Kurt over but he doesn't see any signs that he's been hurt and surely there would be _something_ to see, wouldn't there?

"I can't," Kurt breaths, and it really is more a breath than a whisper, but Blaine still hears it.

Blaine pauses. "You can't... what?" he asks. "Kurt, you are one of the strongest people I know. I don't know what happened, but... I'm here. You can talk to me about whatever it is." He hopes he sounds as sincere as he is.

Kurt looks up at Blaine, and there are fresh tears in his eyes now.

"Blaine, I... I _can't_ ," Kurt's voice cracks on the last word, and before Blaine can even think he's on the bed beside Kurt, arms wrapped around a shaking, sobbing boy and Kurt doesn't flinch away this time, just curls into Blaine's arms, and Blaine is _terrified_. He'd meant what he said; Kurt really is one of the strongest people he knows. And he knows that Kurt has been having a hard time at school, but whatever this is... well, this is not okay. Blaine feels a flash of anger before he manages to squash it back down; Kurt needs him right now, and his anger will not help the situation.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm here, I've got you. You're okay," Blaine murmurs in Kurt's ear, rubbing his hands up and down Kurt's arms.

They sit there on the bed for a while, Blaine whispering reassurances in Kurt's ear, until Kurt's strangled sobs calm to sniffles, and Kurt pulls away. Blaine settles his hands back in his lap, but stays seated beside Kurt.

"You don't have to tell me what happened, Kurt, but... you can. If you want. It doesn't have to be now, but... If you ever want to, I'll listen," Blaine tries. Kurt nods his head and looks at the floor again, but says nothing.

The boys sit in silence a while longer before Kurt speaks, "I should probably get home. My dad will be worried."

"Are you sure?" Blaine asks, glancing at his clock. "It's late, and it's a long drive..." Kurt seems calmer now, but Blaine still isn't convinced that he's really okay, and he doesn't want Kurt to be alone. "You could stay here." The offer is out of Blaine's mouth before he really thinks it over, and maybe it's a bit presumptuous and maybe it crosses a line, but they're friends and Kurt needs a friend right now, and Blaine wants to be that friends for him.

Kurt looks up at him, eyes wide. "I... I don't know."

"You don't have to, but... I'm sure you're tired, and I don't want you driving that far in the dark if you're tired," Blaine tries, and the more he thinks about it, the more sense the idea makes.

Kurt seems to be thinking it over in his head, and Blaine is expecting him to argue, but then he's pulling out his phone, tapping out a text, and a few moments later he slides the phone back into his pocket.

"I'll stay."

Blaine stares silently for a few moments before he realizes that Kurt is staying and what that means.

"Is that okay...? I can go, if you'd rather," Kurt starts, and Blaine realizes that he's just been _staring_.

"No, no, sorry, I just... That's great! Yeah. Um, I'll grab you something you can wear for pajamas." Blaine says as he begins rifling through drawers. He pulls out a pair of blue and grey plaid pajama pants and a red Dalton t-shirt and hands them to Kurt. "I hope this is okay," he says, smiling sheepishly.

Kurt takes the offered clothes in his arms and looks at them briefly before turning and walking to the bathroom. "Thanks," he says quietly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter corresponds to chapter 3 of THOL1.

Blaine sits back as he watches Kurt rummage through Wes' closet, tossing clothes haphazardly across the bed as Wes stands beside him and argues the merits of his wardrobe. He's enjoying this; it's always nice to see someone put Wes in his place, and Kurt is very good at it. It's something he's never quite been able to master, and he files this away in his mind as just another reason to appreciate Kurt Hummel.

"There is nothing wrong with that shirt!" Wes exclaims as Kurt tosses yet another article of clothing onto Wes' bed, a look of distaste on his face. "My mother gave me that for Christmas!"

Kurt pauses with his hand on another hanger and swivels to look Wes directly in the eyes. "That's even _worse_! You can't still be letting your mother choose your clothes, Wes. No wonder half your wardrobe is unwearable, and the other half is...," Kurt doesn't finish his sentence, just goes back to tossing more clothes onto the bed. Blaine shakes his head, a smile on his face. A lot of people might find Kurt to be a bit much when he gets like this, but Blaine actually finds it quite endearing, and he always enjoys it when he gets to see this side of Kurt.

"My mother doesn't choose _all_ my clothes. What, your mom doesn't ever give you clothes for Christmas? Or she does, and you just throw them all out?" Wes responds, and Blaine can hear the teasing tone in his voice, but he also sees Kurt's shoulders tense as he continues flipping through Wes' wardrobe, and he holds his breath as he waits for the response.

There's a pause, then, "My mother would never give me a shirt with _ducks_ on it, Wes. I mean, _ducks_ , really?" To anyone else it wouldn't sound off, but Blaine has talked to Kurt enough to hear the tension in his voice, and he's willing Wes to drop the subject. He and Kurt have talked about a lot of things, but Kurt's mother is the one subject that Blaine can't seem to get Kurt to open up about. Blaine knows that she died when Kurt was 8, and he can tell that it's been hard for him, but Kurt just doesn't _talk_ about her. And if he won't talk about her with Blaine, then there's no way he'll talk about her with Wes.

"Right, I'm sure your mom's taste in fashion is so much better," Wes teases, "maybe I should be letting her pick out my clothes instead."

Another pause. "She can't, she's dead."

It still sounds so weird to hear how casually Kurt says it. He has his own family issues, but he can't imagine talking about one of his parents being dead so _casually_ , and it's the only way Kurt seems to ever talk about it. True, he can still hear the edge in Kurt's voice, but if there's anything that Kurt Hummel is good at – other than fashion, because Blaine has to admit the boy really does know how to dress – it's not letting anything or anybody get to him. Or, well, at least not letting people _know_ that they get to him. It's a trait that Blaine simultaneously admires and resents, because sometimes he just thinks that if Kurt would _talk_ to people, it would make things easier for him; but at the same time, he understands, because there are plenty of things he keeps locked inside himself, so who is he to judge?

Wes is staring at Kurt now, mild panic flitting across his face. "I, uh... Shit, Kurt, I didn't know, I'm sorry," he manages to stutter out.

"It's fine," Kurt responds flippantly, "go put these on."

Kurt holds a simple white button-up and a pair of slim black pants out toward Wes, who nods after a moment and takes them from Kurt before silently making his way to the bathroom to change. Kurt goes back to rooting through the closet, this time seemingly looking for a pair of shoes.

Blaine purses his lips, considering, before, "Are you alright Kurt?"

"I'm fine," and Kurt doesn't even stop to glance at him.

Blaine figures it's probably best not to push it, and besides, maybe Kurt really is fine; Blaine can't hear the tension in his voice anymore.

Wes comes out of the bathroom then, hand on his hip, strutting into the middle of the bedroom. He does a twirl before fluttering his eyelashes at Kurt, "How do I look?"

Kurt rolls his eyes, but he's smiling as he does it, and Blaine can't help but smile as well; there's just something about Kurt's smile that's contagious.

"It will have to do," Kurt says with a sigh. "Here, put these shoes on," he adds, passing a pair of black dress shoes to Wes, who plops onto the floor to put them on, and Kurt is rolling his eyes again as he watches.

Wes stands up, gesturing to himself with a smile as he asks, "Do I meet your high standards yet?"

Kurt chances a glance at Blaine, still smirking, before he replies, "No, but about as close as you're going to get with this wardrobe."

"Well, I'll take that as a win," Wes beams, then looks down at his watch and frowns. "Ah crap, I'm supposed to meet Sara in 15 minutes!"

Wes is grabbing his wallet and keys and he's out the door before Blaine or Kurt can even react. Blaine laughs when he looks over at Kurt, who has a bemused expression on his face, watching the doorway Wes just ran through. Kurt looks at Blaine then, quirking an eyebrow.

"You really should have warned me that it was this bad," Kurt says, but his voice is light and Blaine can tell he's teasing.

"I told you he needed help! I was not kidding. I don't joke about this kind of thing, Kurt," Blaine reassures, smiling.

"Good. Fashion is nothing to joke about," Kurt responds, smiling back.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're skipping ahead a bit! This chapter corresponds to chapter 8 of THOL1. This is also the first chapter that's not a scene from THOL1; instead, it's scenes that occurred during the same time period that chapter 8 spans, but that Kurt was not present for. Hope you enjoy. :)

Blaine sits in front of the mirror in David and Wes' dorm room as the boys get ready to head to the party at Rachel's that night. Blaine is working some gel into his hair; he's decided to go a little lighter on the hair gel tonight, but he still needs _something_ to control the mop that is his full head of naturally curly hair.

"So what time does your boyfriend's party start?" Wes asks casually.

Blaine feels the blush colour his cheeks, but tries to ignore it. He stops, fingers in his hair, and pauses a moment before responding, "He's not my boyfriend, Wes, we're just friends."

"Yeah, whatever. When does it start?"

"It's at 9," Blaine replies as he goes back to fingering the gel into his hair.

"Are you... sure he's not your boyfriend, Blaine?" David asks him

Blaine shoots him a look in the mirror, cheeks still tinged with red. "I think I would know if he were my boyfriend."

"Sorry, that's not what I meant, it's just... does he know that?"

Blaine sighs in exasperation. "Of course he knows that. We're just friends."

"Blaine, he transferred schools to be with you; that's a little intense," Wes chimes in.

Blaine sighs again and puts down the hair gel; he's happy enough with it as is, and he can't focus properly with this conversation happening anyway. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't thought about it; Kurt is an attractive guy, and they'd hit it off really well. But Blaine also knows that Kurt is going through a rough time, and what he needs right now is a friend, not a boyfriend, and that's what Blaine will be for him.

"He didn't transfer to Dalton to be with me, he transferred to Dalton because his old school was full of people who hated him because he's gay. And just because he's gay, doesn't mean that he and I can't be just friends," Blaine huffs. He loves his friends, really, he does, but sometimes they just don't _get it_. And that's one of the things he loves about Kurt; Kurt gets it.

Now, David is sighing. "Sorry, Blaine. I... I know he's had it rough. And I know you have, too. I'm glad you have each other."

"As _friends_!" he quickly amends as Blaine opens his mouth to argue. Blaine shoots him a warning look, but says nothing. He stands up and smoothes his hands down the front of his cardigan. "Are we ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's get this party started!" Wes says, standing and linking his arm with Blaine's. The boys make their way out to David's car, Blaine climbing into the back since Wes called shotgun as soon as it was in sight, and he couldn't be bothered to argue.

* * *

Blaine wakes up in Wes' bed with a dry mouth and the worst headache he thinks he's ever had.

"A'vil" he mumbles, to nobody in particular, and he's greeted with a quiet chuckle.

"On the table right beside you," David's voice replies, and Blaine decides it's _entirely_ too cheery for the current circumstances, but he doesn't comment because all he really cares about at the moment is making the pounding in his head go away. He reaches his arm out onto the bedside table, feeling around until he finds the two pills that David must have put there, anticipating Blaine's hangover, and pops them into his mouth, eyes still closed, swallowing them dry.

"There's water there, too," David adds, and Blaine lays there with his eyes closed a moment longer before he finally opens them to find the glass of water David has placed there for him, drinking it all at once before placing the glass back on the table with a little too much force and wincing at the loud noise of glass on wood.

He rolls back over, closing his eyes and trying to not exist for a while longer, as he hears David take the glass from the table beside him.

* * *

When Blaine wakes up for the second time that morning, he's feeling a little better. There's still a dull throbbing in the back of his head, but the Advil has taken care of most of it, and his mouth no longer feels like it's full of cotton. He sits up in the bed, and sees Wes and David sitting on the floor playing a game of cards.

"Well look who finally decided to wake up," David says, smiling cheerfully at him.

"Finally decided to grace us with your presence, did you?" Wes adds, and Blaine can't help but wonder how Wes seems to be totally fine this morning even though he's pretty sure they drank the same amount last night.

"You're short, Blaine, and you're a lightweight," Wes says, clearly knowing the question forming in Blaine's head before he has a chance to voice it.

"Yeah, whatever, I guess I've learned my lesson," Blaine mutters as he crawls out of bed and joins them on the floor.

"You want in? Poker. We're just starting a new game," David asks, pausing before he begins to deal the cards out.

"No thanks, I'll just watch," Blaine replies, settling with his back against the foot of the bed. David deals the cards between himself and Wes and they start playing as Blaine watches silently for a while. Now that his head doesn't hurt so much, he can think clearly, and he's thinking about last night. More specifically, he's thinking about kissing Brittany last night. He had... liked it? He thinks? He was drunk, so maybe it was just that, but there was also something else, he thinks. Of course Brittany was very pretty, and he doesn't know her that well, but she seems like a very nice, sweet girl. And not that he's kissed very many people in his time, but he thinks that was a _good_ kiss. That's how a kiss is supposed to feel. And honestly, that kind of scares him a bit. Blaine is gay. He's known he's gay for a while now. He's a very out, very proud, very _gay_ young man. But Brittany is a _girl_ , and now he's just confused because he _should not like kissing girls_ as much as he did last night, unless...

Wes is pushing all of his chips to the center of the floor between them, apparently going all in as he tends to do when he's getting over-confident, when Blaine interrupts them

"How do you know you're straight?"

He thinks it sounds stupid the second it comes out of his mouth; Wes and David have probably never really given it any thought, and really, if anyone between the three of them should be providing advice on figuring out your sexuality, it should be Blaine. But it's out there now, and all he can do is wait for a response.

Wes and David both stop and turn to look at him. David places his cards face down on the floor, "I never really thought about it, I guess," he says carefully, "I just... like girls."

"Yeah, it's like, have you _seen_ a girl, Blaine, ever?" Wes adds, and when David elbows him, he adds with a smirk, "I mean, what David said."

Blaine is quiet for a moment, pondering and looking down at the floor. He _has_ seen girls before, and he's always thought they were pretty, but then he always thought that guys were attractive, too. Everyone thought girls were pretty, right? That didn't mean you were _into_ them, though. He's pulled out of his thoughts by David's voice.

"Blaine... what's up? You're not straight. No way."

"I've heard you talk about Justin Timberlake way too much to think there's even a possibility you're not into guys," Wes adds with a chuckle.

"No, I know, I just..." Blaine falters for a moment before he continues, "I know I'm not straight. But... I don't know, never mind."

"No seriously, what's up?" Wes asks, a bit of concern on his face, and Blaine supposes he's gone too far now to back out.

Blaine sighs. "I guess it's just that... I knew I was gay because I like guys. But I never really, you know, stopped to think about if I _didn't_ like girls, and then... I kissed Brittany last night, and... I don't know." He's looking down at the floor again, cheeks a little red, not quite sure what his friends will say to that. They were always cool with him being gay, but he was gay when he met them; he's not quite sure how they'll react to this.

"So you think you're bi?" Wes asks simply. Blaine meets Wes' gaze, bites his lip, and shrugs his shoulders a little helplessly.

"Blaine," David starts, "obviously we aren't the best people to ask for advice on this topic, but it seems to me like you're confused, and that's fine. There's nothing wrong with not knowing. But if you think you're into girls, too... Why not try it out?" he offers with a tentative smile.

Blaine looks at David, eyes wide, "I... I guess. Where do I even start, though?"

Wes rolls his eyes, but he's smirking, "I mean, it's kind of obvious, isn't it?"

Blaine just stares back at Wes. How is it obvious? He's never even had a boyfriend before, how is he supposed to try dating a _girl_?

Wes laughs at him. "Brittany? You liked kissing her, and if you ask me, she didn't seem to mind it either. Just ask her out, see how it goes."

_Oh_. Of course. Blaine is an idiot, he thinks. But then he remembers that he doesn't actually have any way to contact Brittany.

"I don't have her number," he says dumbly.

This time, David rolls his eyes, "Just ask Kurt for it."

Of course, Blaine thinks, Brittany is Kurt's friend, obviously he would have a way to get in touch with her. More proof that he's an idiot.

"Yeah, okay. I'll do that," he says, feeling a little better about things now, but still, honestly, pretty confused.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay in updates. I've had a very busy month and have been distracted with some other projects, but I wanted to update this one so here you go! This chapter is set between chapters 8 and 9 of THOL1. Enjoy some Blaine/Brittany.

Blaine sits on his bed in his dorm room, phone in hand, blank message open to Brittany.

_**Hello Brittany, this is Blaine Anderson. I wanted to ask if you would like to go on a date with me.** _

He stares down at his phone, rereading the message he's typed, before deleting it all and trying again.

_**Hi Brittany, it's Blaine. You might remember me from the party a few days ago? We kissed?** _

Again, he deletes the message. Why is the so hard? He lets out a groan and rubs his hand over his face in frustration.

_**Hey Brittany, this is Blaine. We met at the party a few nights ago.** _

He sighs. It's not great, but he could sit here all night trying to write the perfect text message, so he just closes his eyes and hits send before he can think too hard about it. He stays there, staring down at the phone, waiting for a response. Just as he's thinking this is ridiculous, she's probably busy, and even if she's not then she probably has better things to do than talk to him anyway, she texts him back.

_hi blaine! i remember u, ur a good kisser :)_

He finds himself smiling a little at that, and he types out a response.

_**Oh, thanks! I got your number from Kurt, I hope that's okay.** _

_ya of course! wats up?_

He takes a deep breath before he types the next message.

_**I was just wondering if you would be interested in going on a date with me sometime.** _

He hits send, and then holds his breath until she responds, which feels like hours but is really only about a minute later.

_sounds fun! we should go 2 breadstix :)_

He grins widely at his phone as he reads her message.

_**Breadstix sounds great. Are you free tomorrow after school?** _

_yup :)_

_**Great! Can I pick you up at 5?** _

_sure, c u then ;*_

* * *

Blaine settles into the booth opposite Brittany. He's wearing a white button-up with slim black pants and one of his favourite bowties. Brittany looks effortlessly beautiful in a flowing blue skirt and simple white top.

"I really like your bowtie," Brittany comments, smiling at him.

"Oh, thank you!" Blaine response, blushing a little. He's not really used to _dating_ , and there's a girl sitting directly across from him, and he's not quite sure what he should be doing, exactly.

"So I thought you were gay," Brittany says, "but then you asked me out, so now I'm confused. Are you gay?"

Well, Blaine was certainly not expecting _that_. He reels for a moment, trying to think of how to respond, but Brittany continues.

"Because it's okay if you are, you know. I don't mind. We can still make out after. Me and Kurt made out, and he's like, capital G gay."

Blaine gapes at her before finally finding some words. "I'm, uh... I thought I was gay, but now I'm... not sure?" he stutters out.

"Okay, cool. Do you like cats?"

Blaine blinks at her for a moment, a little shocked.

"Because if you don't like cats, that's going to be a problem. If you don't like Lord Tubbington, then we can't be friends. Or even make out. He'll find out and then he'll be very mad."

Blaine just laughs at that, "I like cats."

"Okay great," Brittany says, smiling at him.

After that, Blaine feels a little more comfortable. Brittany is fun, if a little odd, and she's great at making him laugh. She seems to laugh at a lot of the things he says, too, and they have an easy conversation over his spaghetti, her three-cheese ravioli, and the excessive amount of bread sticks they share. By the time they're outside her house so Blaine can drop her off, he doesn't really want the evening to end.

"Do you want to come in and meet Lord Tubbington?" she asks him.

"Sure, that sounds nice," he says with a smile, and he's really not sure if she's genuinely this interested in him meeting her cat, or if it's just an excuse to get him to stick around, but he doesn't really care either way because now he's following her into her house and up to her room and he's _in a girl's room_ after a date with said girl.

He sits on the edge of her bed as she walks to the other side of her room, coming back with a very large cat in her arms.

"Lord Tubbington, this is Blaine Warbler. Blaine Warbler, this is Lord Tubbington," she introduces them, and she sounds so official about it and Blaine can't help but think that it's kind of adorable.

"Why hello, sir, it's nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you," he says, smiling, looking at the cat.

Lord Tubbington meows loudly.

"He says he likes you but you wear too much hair gel," she says as she places him back on the floor, and he wanders out of the room.

Blaine chuckles a little at that. "Sorry, I can cut back a little if that's a problem."

She beams at him. "I think Lord Tubbington would appreciate that. He has really strong opinions on hair care."

"Okay, I will keep that in mind," Blaine smiles back.

Brittany sits on the bed beside him, her thigh against his, and Blaine feels a jolt of electricity through him at the contact. "Are you my boyfriend now?" she asks, and there's no hesitation, it's like she's just genuinely _curious_ , and it baffles Blaine but he also just kind of wants to get to know this girl better and understand her.

"Uh... do you want me to be?" he asks dumbly.

"Yeah, I think that would be good," she says easily, still smiling.

"Okay. Then yeah, sure. I'm your boyfriend," he smiles back at her.

"Awesome! Do you wanna make out?"

Blaine is going to have to get used to this, he thinks, how straightforward Brittany is about everything, but it's also one of the things that he thinks he likes the most about her; she's not afraid of what other people will think of her, and she's not afraid to just go for it when she wants something. He takes a deep breath before nodding, "Yeah, I would love to," with a smile, and then Brittany is pushing him back onto her bed, crawling over him, lips and tongues exploring each other, and yeah, this is even _better_ than it was three nights ago.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! Life has been a lot lately. This is a very short chapter, and it happens between chapters 9 and 10 in THOL1. I hope you enjoy!

Blaine holds Brittany's hand as they walk amongst the tanks of the aquarium in Columbus. It was a lot of driving, but they had decided to spend the whole day together, and his parents were more than happy to let him take the car when they heard he was taking a _girl_ on a date. He'd had a hard time biting his tongue for that conversation, but he knew better than to start an argument with them about it; his dad could have a temper, and Blaine liked to avoid confrontation whenever he could.

It turns out that the zoo and aquarium in Columbus was a _great_ idea, because Brittany hasn't stopped smiling since they arrived just after noon. She clings to his hand as she drags him between all the animals, chattering happily, and Blaine is actually really impressed with how many animal facts she knows.

Brittany drags Blaine over to a tank holding a variety of brightly coloured jellyfish. "Did you know that jellyfish don't have hearts?" she asks him, eyes following a pink jellyfish as it floats across the tank.

"I guess I'd never really thought about it," he says, smiling at her.

She turns to look him in the eyes. "I'm glad you're not a jellyfish," she says, and then leans toward him and places a soft kiss on his lips. He panics for a moment, very briefly, before he leans into it. He's still trying to get used to the idea that he can kiss someone in public and not be afraid of what the people around him are going to think or do. Before he can think too long on that, he's being dragged across the aisle to a different aquarium, this one with a lone octopus.

"Octopuses have _three_ hearts, though. Which doesn't make sense because if they have eight arms then shouldn't they have four hearts?" she asks him, and she looks genuinely concerned so Blaine can't help but laugh.

"I'd never really given it any thought, but I guess you have a point," he says with an easy smile, and he gives her hand a squeeze. "Hey, it's getting late, did you want to go get something to eat?"

"Yeah, that would be good," she smiles back at him, "as long as it's not seafood. I promised Lord Tubbington I wouldn't eat any while I was here out of respect for the fish."

"No seafood it is, then. I think we passed a restaurant on our way in here, let's go find it," he chuckles, leading her by the hand out of the aquarium.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter corresponds to chapter 11 of THOL1. Enjoy!

It's the weekend after their one month anniversary. They've spent a lazy Saturday at Brittany's house, enjoying each other's company. They made pancakes together for lunch, laughing as they made a mess of themselves and the kitchen with flour and syrup, then they'd spent the rest of the afternoon hidden away in Brittany's room, stealing kisses as Blaine helped her brainstorm ideas for Fondue for Two. That's what they're doing know, as he holds her back to his chest, wrapped in his arms, sitting on her bed and leaning against the wall.

"The fans know what they want. And what they want is not a musical episode, Blaine Warbler," she says to him after he tries to argue the merits of a musical interview.

"Okay, Britt," he chuckles, and places a kiss on the top of her head. "What about sports," he tries, "maybe a captain from one of the teams at your school?"

She's quite for a moment before she responds with a nod, "That might work."

They sit in a comfortable silence for a while, Blaine drinking in the feel of her in his arms, against his chest. He places another kiss in her hair; she always smells so nice, and he really just can't help himself.

"I think we should break up," she says after a while.

Blaine lifts his head at that and looks down at her. She hasn't moved, still looking ahead, and he can't see her face to read her expression. "You... What? For the show?" he asks, baffled. He guesses it would be pretty dramatic, and would get a lot of views, but he really doesn't think the confusion of trying to explain to their friends that ' _no, they didn't really break up_ ' would be worth it.

"No, for real," she replies, as casually as though she were suggesting they go get supper at Breadstix.

"I don't... _Why_? Did I do something?" he asks, almost at a loss for words, but somehow forcing them out.

"You like Katy Perry too much, you use too much hair gel, and Santana said she misses her lady kisses" Brittany says simply, as though any of those are a reason to break up with somebody. "And you're kind of short," she adds as an afterthought.

Blaine splutters a little, "Britt, are you... _what_? You're serious?" He pushes her gently off of him, and turns her so he can see her face. Her expression is neutral, impossible for him to read.

"I'm sorry but it's just not working out," she replies.

"But... can we talk about this?"

"I know what I want, and you're not it. I'm sorry but that's just how it is."

Blaine stares at her, debating what to say next. Should he argue with her, fight to keep them together? This all seems so sudden, and her reasons seem so... _arbitrary_. But then, he never did entirely understand Brittany anyway. And what was that about Santana? Ultimately he figures it's best if he just leaves. If this is what she wants, he's not going to fight her on it; he's hurt and upset, but he still cares about her, and he wants her to be happy.

"O-okay," he stutters, standing and walking over to the corner to grab his bag.

"Where are you going?" she asks, eyes following him across the room, "I thought that maybe we could make a papier-mâché cat before supper."

"I... Brittany, you just broke up with me. I'm leaving," he replies, because _what_? Did she expect him to just hang around like nothing had changed? This day is not going at all how he had expected it to.

"You don't have to go," she says, as though it should be obvious.

He's quiet for a moment, looking at her, trying to figure out just what logic she's using that led her to any of the things she's said throughout this entire conversation, but he gives up pretty quickly. "I think I should just head home."

"Okay. I don't think Lord Tubbington really wanted to model today anyway. We can do it another day," she replies.

He stares at her for another moment, still baffled, before silently turning and leaving her room, making his way down the stairs and out to his car.

* * *

Blaine doesn't turn on the radio as he drives back to Dalton. He sits in silence, eyes on the road, mind replaying what had just happened in Brittany's bedroom and trying to make sense of it all. He doesn't _love_ Brittany, of course not. They'd only been together for a month. But she was his first girlfriend. First significant other. First person with whom he'd done anything more than kiss – not that they'd done all that much more, but still. This meant something to Blaine. _She_ meant something to Blaine. And he's sad that it's over, sad that she barely even seemed to care, and upset that he let it mean so much to him when she clearly didn't feel quite the same way. By the time he finally pulls into the Dalton parking lot, he's started and stopped crying several times, and he's sure his face is red and blotchy but he can't really be bothered to care at this point. He makes his way into the dorms, bypassing his own room completely and heading straight for Wes and David's. He's not really sure what he needs right now, but he _is_ sure that being around them will help at least a bit.

He can hear talking on the other side of the door, but doesn't give it any though. He knocks quietly waits, sniffling a little; he'd started crying again on his walk over, but managed to pull himself together before he arrived at their door. A moment later David is pulling the door open, and the smile on his face is instantly replaced with a concerned look as he takes in Blaine's current state.

"Are you alright? What happened?" David asks, ushering Blaine into the room and closing the door softly behind him.

"Brittany broke up with me," he replies, voice wet, and plops down on David's bed. "I don't even-" he stops mid-sentence when he looks up and sees Kurt seated next to Wes on the other bed.

"Oh sorry, I... Hi, Kurt," he says dumbly.

Kurt arches an eyebrow at Blaine, barely noticeable, "Hi, Blaine."

Blaine stares at Kurt for a moment. He knows Kurt has been getting closer with David and Wes, and actually, he knew that they were all hanging out today while he was supposed to spend the day with Brittany. How had he forgotten? Of course they don't want to spend their day listening to him whine about the ex-girlfriend that Kurt didn't even want him to have in the first place.

"Sorry, um, I forgot you guys had plans, I'll just... I'll go," he mutters awkwardly, standing again and heading for the door.

"Blaine, sit back down," Wes says, rolling his eyes.

"No really, it's fine, you guys had plans and I just barged in and I should let you get back to-"

"Blaine," Kurt says, voice firm, and it surprises Blaine a little, "it's fine. Come sit back down," he finishes a little more softly.

Blaine looks between the three boys, all looking back at him expectantly, before he sighs and sits back down on David's bed. David joins him a moment later.

"Sorry, I just... Kurt, I don't want this to be awkward for you," Blaine mutters. He knows that Kurt has feelings for him, and even though Kurt has been really good about his relationship with Brittany this past month (once he'd gotten over his initial, well, whatever you want to call _that_ in the beginning), but Blaine still didn't want to put him in a weird position.

Kurt looks a little taken aback, but he recovers quickly. "It's not, Blaine, it's... really, it's fine." Kurt gives him a sad-looking smile, and Blaine feels at least a little reassured.

"So, what happened?" Wes asks, and Blaine startles a little, remembering that there are people in this room other than himself and Kurt.

"I don't know, she... we were just talking, and out of nowhere she says we should break up," Blaine explains helplessly. "And she didn't even have a good reason! She said I wear too much hair gel, and I like Katy Perry too much, and I'm kind of _short_? None of those are reasons to break up with somebody!" He leaves out the part about Santana because he hasn't heard anyone else talk about her being into girls, and he certainly doesn't want to be the one to out her if she's not ready.

"Those are... what?" Wes asks, eyes squinting in confusion, as though if he looks at Blaine hard enough maybe he'll be able to understand the logic behind her reasons, which is ridiculous because Blaine knows that none of this really makes sense.

"If she's going to break up with you for _that_ then honestly, Blaine, it sounds like it was probably for the best," David supplies, and Blaine knows he's probably right but that doesn't really help him _now_.

"Yeah, I guess, but it just... sucks," Blaine says, because really, that's the best word for it right now.

"Brittany's nice but she's always been... Well, you know, Brittany," Kurt adds, and Blaine looks to him. "I stopped trying to understand her a long time ago. And for what it's worth, I think your love of Katy Perry is kind of endearing." Blaine sees the blush colour Kurt's cheeks, and can't quite tell if he knew what he was saying as he said it, or didn't realize until it was already out of his mouth.

"You do use too much hair gel, though," Wes chimes in happily.

"Are you _are_ short," David adds with a smirk.

Blaine laughs, voice still a little shaky, but a genuine laugh all the same. "Thanks guys, really. It means a lot," he says with a roll of his eyes.

The boys spend the rest of the day and into the evening talking and laughing in Wes and David's room. They order some pizzas for supper and eat them happily as David and Kurt debate the pros and cons of school uniforms; David thinks they're a good idea because it ensures nobody gets singled out if their family can't afford nice clothes, while Kurt thinks they stifle creativity and discourage individuality. Blaine laughs when Kurt points out that David's argument is especially invalid because does he even _know_ how expensive the Dalton uniforms are?

He isn't making a conscious effort, and he doesn't think Kurt is either, but somehow throughout the evening the two of them have been drifting closer together. By the end of the evening, they're sitting together on the floor, Blaine's head tipped onto Kurt's shoulder as his eyelids slip closed, listening to Wes telling Kurt another story about summer camp.

He feels something nudging him gently in the side, and he blinks his eyes open, lifting his head and looking around; everyone is looking at him, and he realizes he must have fallen asleep.

"Did... I fell asleep? How long was I out?"

"Just a couple minutes," Kurt reassures him. "Come on, they're kicking us out."

He sits there a moment longer, until Kurt stands and looks down at him expectantly. "Right, yeah, of course," he mumbles, and stands as well.

"See you guys tomorrow," Blaine says, and heads out the door, Kurt following close behind.

They walk together toward Blaine's room; it's on the way to the exit, so Kurt would be walking this way regardless. Neither says a word to the other as they make their way through the halls, and Blaine has a sudden urge to take Kurt's hand but he pushes it down because that would be weird, right? When they reach Blaine's door, they both stop and look at each other.

Kurt yawns. "I'll see you on Monday I guess," he says sleepily.

"Yeah, I guess so," Blaine responds, but he's a little worried. "Are you sure you're okay to drive? You seem pretty tired."

Kurt stifles another yawn. "Yeah, I'm fine, just... When I get outside in the cold air, I'll be fine."

"Okay, if you're sure," Blaine nods.

"I am. Talk to you later," Kurt says, and then he's walking away down the hall.

Kurt is about 20 paces away before Blaine calls out to him. "Kurt?"

Kurt stops, turning back toward Blaine. "Yeah?"

"I just... Thank you," Blaine says, a little more quietly.

Kurt walks back toward him. "For what?"

"For just... Being there. For me. Being a good friend. I know this hasn't been easy for you, and..." Blaine trails off. He's not really sure what he's trying to say. He just wants Kurt to know how much he cares about him, how important he is.

"I... I haven't been a very good friend to you, Blaine," Kurt says. He's looking down at the floor now, and Blaine just wants Kurt to look at him again so he can get lost in the beautiful gray-blue of Kurt's eyes, and he notes again that he's pretty sure you're not supposed to have that reaction to a _just friend_ but he tries not to think too hard about that.

"Look at me, Kurt."

It takes a moment, but Kurt's eyes lift and meet Blaine's again.

"You have been a _great_ friend to me, Kurt. You made one mistake, and I get it, and I forgive you. Okay?"

Kurt bites his lip and nods, and Blaine wonders if it's always been this attractive when he's done that. And then Blaine's not thinking, just doing. He closes the distance between them, places a hand gently on the back of Kurt's neck, and presses their lips together softly. He lets himself get lost to the sensation of these lips, _Kurt's_ lips, against his own. When he pulls back after a moment, smiling, he sees that Kurt is... _not_ smiling. His eyes are wide as he stares back at Blaine, lips parted just slightly, and Blaine can't quite read his expression.

"Blaine, I... I can't do this." His breath leaves his lips as a whisper. "I can't do this," a little louder, "not... Blaine, you... You just broke up with your girlfriend, and I _can't_ , I-"

"Kurt, shit, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that, I don't know what I was thinking." Blaine is pleading now, because what _was_ he thinking? They're just friends, and he knows Kurt has feelings for him, so he'd though Kurt would _want_ to kiss him, but... apparently not?

"I should– I have to go," Kurt stutters, and then he's disappearing down the hallway as Blaine stands in his open doorway and watches, wondering how this day started off so well but went so wrong.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a snippet of a conversation that happens between chapters 11 and 12 of THOL1. Thank you so much for reading!

"And then I kissed him, and he just _left_ , and... I think I really messed up," Blaine finishes. It's the next day, and Blaine is sitting in the Dalton common room with Wes and David, hoping they can help him fix everything.

Wes barks out a laugh. "You're an idiot," he says fondly.

"I know," Blaine moans, burying his face in his hands.

"Blaine, Kurt likes you," David explains slowly, "and you and your girlfriend _just_ broke up. I think it's pretty clear why he left."

Blaine just stares back at him, waiting for him to explain further, because it really _isn't_ clear to him.

Eventually, David continues. "He doesn't want to be your rebound."

Blaine blinks back at him. Did Kurt really think that he was just a rebound? But the more Blaine processes the words, the more it makes sense. Of _course_ he thinks that. Blaine was upset and had just been broken up with and, really, if their situations were reversed, wouldn't Blaine think the same thing? But that's not what this is... is it? Blaine wouldn't do that to Kurt, he couldn't. Kurt is one of his best friends, and he wouldn't hurt Kurt that way... right?

"But I don't– he's– I–" Blaine stutters, and he's not even really sure what he's trying to say.

"Blaine," David interrupts, saving him from his incomprehensible babbling, and it's firm but kind, "you need to take a bit of time and think about this. If you want to pursue something with Kurt–"

"He does," Wes chimes in, but David just continues talking over him.

"–then you should, but just make sure it's what you really want first and you're not just doing it because you're upset."

Blaine sighs. "You're right. I... I'll take some time and think on it."

"And then inevitably decide that you and Kurt are meant to be together," Wes sing-songs.

David rolls his eyes, and Blaine feels the blush colouring his cheeks just a little. He really does have some serious thinking to do. "Thanks, guys."


End file.
